Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Basingstoke

For one person, living is cheaper in Basingstoke: $2,554 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Edinburgh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Basingstoke
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Basingstoke Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Basingstoke

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Basingstoke

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Edinburgh and in Basingstoke actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,554 in Basingstoke, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,724
Basingstoke $2,554

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,861 in Basingstoke, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,109
Basingstoke $3,861

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,169 in Basingstoke, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,494
Basingstoke $5,169

Edinburgh costs about 7% more than Basingstoke, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Basingstoke sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Basingstoke by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 £17.98

$20.37 £15.11

19.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.3

$91.9 £68.1

17.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.91

$10.58 £7.84

0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.78

$4.72 £3.50

8.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 £1.84

$2.85 £2.11

-12.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.76 £1.31

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.80

$6.15 £4.56

27.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 £6.03

$6.90 £5.11

17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.50 £1.11

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 £1.72

$1.74 £1.29

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.73

$1.81 £1.34

29.28%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.64

$3.81 £2.83

28.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £6.95

$11.46 £8.50

-18.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 £7.14

$8.46 £6.27

13.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 £11.73

$12.56 £9.32

25.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.29

$3.11 £2.31

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.75 £1.29

9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.76 £2.04

18.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.65

$3.28 £2.44

8.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$2.06 £1.53

-3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.75 £1.30

-10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$2.04 £1.51

-36.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.78 £1.32

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.91

$23.86 £17.69

1.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.02

$13.92 £10.33

-22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.36

$2.91 £2.16

9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$3.17 £2.35

3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.44

$3.92 £2.91

-16.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.7

$173 £128

-41.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.93

$7.40 £5.49

-28.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 £1.80

$2.24 £1.66

8.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £34.79

$22.82 £16.93

105.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.09 £1.55

5.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.5K £28.6K

$39.4K £29.2K

-2.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.5K £30.0K

$41.0K £30.4K

-1.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$335 £248

$278 £206

20.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.31 £12.09

$16.25 £12.05

0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 £30.32

$44.80 £33.23

-8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 £31.48

$60.4 £44.76

-29.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 £17.82

$27.18 £20.16

-11.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 £11.14

$13.59 £10.08

10.52%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,869 £1,386

$1,989 £1,475

-6.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K £19.3K

$21.2K £15.8K

22.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.2

$88.2 £65.4

-4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.43

$54.4 £40.30

-12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.3

$108 £80.4

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.3

$108 £80.4

9.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,240

$1,284 £952

30.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 £944

$1,134 £841

12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 £2,233

$2,168 £1,608

38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,666

$2,029 £1,505

10.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 £4,805

$8,836 £6,553

-26.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,429 £3,284

$7,668 £5,686

-42.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,815

$3,769 £2,795

0.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.07

-5.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Basingstoke: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7%

Basingstoke

$1.1K 44.4% 10.9% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$392 14.4%

Basingstoke

$339 13.3% 13.5% $53

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.3%

Basingstoke

$314 12.3% 13% $47

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.2%

Basingstoke

$311 12.2% 6.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$162 5.9%

Basingstoke

$162 6.3% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$131 4.8%

Basingstoke

$207 8.1% 57.9% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$72 2.7%

Basingstoke

$88 3.4% 20.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,284 in Basingstoke. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $92 in Basingstoke. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $311 – making Basingstoke the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Basingstoke

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

107,355

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Basingstoke 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Basingstoke

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Edinburgh vs Basingstoke: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,831 in Basingstoke. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Basingstoke, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,284 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

Kindergarten costs $1,869 per month in Edinburgh and $1,989 in Basingstoke. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Edinburgh, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,554 in Basingstoke. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Basingstoke costs $2,554 versus $2,724 in Edinburgh. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.